Jessica
by Mr. Osborne
Summary: Alternative ending to the movie. Because of Joe's love for Jessica, she is brought home to Earth.
1. Part 1: I'm taking you home.

Title: Jessica (part 1 of ?)

Author: Clu Osborne

Date: September 26, 2000

Disclaimer:

This story is a work of fiction of my own writing. Some of the descriptions and dialogue are not mine, especially early on in the story. They are from the movie "Screamers." It is the property of the companies, the cast, and crew who made this movie.

Summary: 

After Jessica "dies" Joe makes a decision, risking his life. What happens next is different from how it originally ended in the movie. This story leads Commander Joseph Hendrickson and Jessica Hansen on a journey of love, hope, fear, justice, and peace. 

Spoiler Warning: 

For those who have not seen the movie, there are details in this story that are considered to be spoilers. Be warned.

Author's Notes: 

I enjoy science fiction, both on paper and on the screen, both small and large. I enjoyed "Screamers" but the ending didn't sit well with me. Joe had lost so much, and had a chance to get some measure of happiness back, only to have it taken away from him at the end. In response to this, I wrote this story, as a sequel, to give Joe his happiness, and to allow all the people who died on Sirius 6B to be finally laid to rest.

And to give both the New Economic Block and Alliance a big kick in the butt for their stupid war and their betrayals.

**Jessica**

**Part One**

Joe held onto the side of the EEV after the prelaunch burn completed. He groaned, holding his ear after a Screamer almost blewhis eardrums. He let go and jumped down to the ground. He went over to Jessica, who was laying on the ground, motionless.

A female's digital voice announced: "Prelaunch burn complete. Ninety seconds to launch." 

Joe slowly approached Jessica. From the hole in her chest, he knew that she was badly damaged, and that her power source was probably destroyed, if not badly damaged as well. He crouched next to her and stroked her hair.

Suddenly, she spoke.

"I... didn't want to... go back with you. I was afraid." Jessica said. She focused her eyes on Joe.

"I know. You were afraid of what you would do. I know." Joe says. He sighed. "Well, you're coming up in the world: You've learned how to kill each other now."

Jessica smiled slightly.

"I learned... something else too. I learned to..."

Jessica gasped her last artificial breath on Sirrius 6B and lost power.

"Love." Joe finished.

Joseph leaned down and kissed her on the lips. He stood up, tears in his eyes. He hesitated, then crouched back down to pick Jessica up. He carried her to the EEV.

Thirty seconds to launch. Thirty seconds. The digital voice announced.

"I'm taking you home." Joe whispered to her.

With thirty seconds remaining until launch, he swiftly carried her over to the EEV and got in.

After settling in the pilot's seat, Joseph activated the on board systems and programed the EEV for its destination: Earth. He shared the seat, holding Jessica to his side, almost on his lap.

"This is Commander Joseph Hendrickson aboard EEV designated 'T' for tango thirteen. Over." 

A woman comes on the radio. "This is Alliance San Francisco. Over."

"On a prelaunch, T-minus thirty seconds, requesting emergency clearance for Earth. Over."

"Tango thirteen cleared for Earth. Over."

The EEV's thrusters powered up and the vehicle began to ascend. It slowed down and hovered for a few seconds waiting for the main hatch to open. After it opened, the vehicle continued its ascent through the hatch and fired its main engines, sending it up and out of Sirius 6B's atmosphere and into space.

Joe saw the transition into space and gave a sigh of relief. The horror had come to an end for him on Sirius. He held on to Jessica's body, deciding to leave his tab on just in case. Seeing that she was secure he began a dangerous plan, one which he had only one chance to make it succeed. He plotted a course for what was the Midwest, United States, before NEB and Alliance divided it down the Mississippi river: North Eastern Michigan, 200 miles north of Detroit.

That done, Joseph fell asleep, for the first time in days.

**Final Destination**

Several hours later, the EEV entered Earth's solar system on its final approach.

It was time to execute his plan.

"This is Tango thirteen, am declaring an emergency. Over."

"Tango thirteen, this is Alliance San Francisco, state the nature of your emergency. Over," said the controller.

"EEV navigation computer malfunction, am switching to manual. Will attempt manual reentry and landing. Over."

"Copy your malfunction and switch to manual. All traffic is being cleared. You are clear for manual reentry and landing. Over."

"Coming in. Over."

"Acknowledged Tango thirteen. Over."

Joe took a deep breath and released it as he began reentry.

Joe was intent on finding help, but not at San Francisco. He knew that he'd be either dead or imprisoned within an hour of landing there. He had no one there who would help him. His only ally, Secretary Green, was dead; eliminated by Alliance Command just after he took command on Sirius 6B. They'd kill him, or at the very least order him not to talk about what happened on Sirius 6B. He wasn't going to do that. His men and their families deserved more than that.

This war had truly turned into a "fucking galactic gold rush" as his friend Chuck had said. Everyone under his command, even that kid Jefferson, was now dead. If he landed in San Francisco, he might as well be the first Alliance Commander to drop the first wave of nukes on Triton Four 

No. He wouldn't let their deaths be for nothing. Not like this. Not today.

He decided that he was going to tell the truth about what happened on Sirius. The war, the NEB messenger who died delivering the message of peace, the task force bound for Triton Four, the Screamers evolution, the end result of their killing at the NEB command bunker, and Jefferson's death at the hands of one of those monsters--good god, he was only a kid! He'd tell the people, on both sides, everything. And he wouldn't be alone.

Just before leaving, Joe realized that Jessica could be saved. He had examined the remains of several Type 1s that were turned into junk over the years, and he found that they had a battery backup system. It was similar to the old coin-type lithium batteries that retained the BIOS settings on old IBM PC clones. Designed to protect their on-board memory so that when they were retrieved by the production facility, it would learn from its mistakes and improve on them. As advanced and intelligent as the Soldier and David were, as well as the Reptile, they all had the same characteristics in common; they were all killing machines and they were all made by the same production facility. Logically, they all had the same basic features that protected their memory as the original Screamer did.

There was a risk, however. Her memory may be intact, but no one had ever tried to rebuild and reactivate a Screamer after disabling it. It was simply never done before. There were two possibilities: one, Jessica would power back up and her CPU would resume from its last moment on Sirius 6B, or two, the CPU would come back on its original start-up mode and kill the first human it saw. But, after Joe's encounter with another Screamer, Becker, who he blew in half and later attacked him wearing Chuck's face, it seemed that the first possibility was more likely than the second. On the other hand, her memory may have been damaged or lost when the damage occurred. Either way, it was going to be dangerous, and there would be no easy ending to this story, no matter how happy it might be.

As the EEV entered Earth's atmosphere, Joe's adrenalin increased. He had to time this perfectly to make it look like he couldn't handle the craft and crashed. Not having flown for several years didn't help matters. But the EEV's computer would do most of the work. He just had to push the right buttons to make it happen.

There were other problems as well, though not as immediate. Jessica's "skin" was real skin, and she actually had real blood, maintained by a circulation system that provided oxygen and other elements needed to grow new skin. But with it offline, the skin was dying and the smell was starting to become unbearable. A sample would probably have to be taken and new skin be grown. Getting new skin wouldn't be a problem since growing skin was quite commonplace since its beginnings over eighty years ago. Then there was her spinal cord, which like a human's provided information and control over movement. When the other Screamer punched a hole through her body, it severed the spinal cord, just below her shoulders, effectively disabling her. He would have to build a replacement section somehow.

Indeed, if there was a chance of saving her, there was going to be a lot of work ahead of him. The biggest problem was that he didn't have the knowledge or the skills necessary to do all the work. He was going to need to enlist some major help.

Fortunately, he had a head start, and it was waiting for him in Michigan. Years ago, before he left for Sirius 6B to mine Berynium, he had an old Aunt that owned a house near Lake Huron in northeastern Michigan. She died just as the cold war on Earth renewed itself, but her friends held onto the property with the hope that Joe would return from the war. As far as Joe knew, the house was still there, well maintained, and had its own power plant and water supply. It was also fully furnished, along with some of the most advanced (for its time) computer and diagnostic equipment. That was more than enough to start with, and it was all there, waiting for him to arrive.

After entering Earth's atmosphere, just 150 miles south south west of his final destination, Joe started thinking about his next move. His first priority was securing the house. His next priority was securing Jessica's CPU and memory until he was ready to work. He would then start establishing links to the computer and diagnostic equipment. Once that was done, he would start getting her basic systems online. That last part was going to be tricky because of the autonomous functions. There was no way of knowing if there were any traps or saw blades waiting to strike, but that was a risk that Joe was readily willing to take. That done, he would remove a piece of the spinal cord opposite the damaged area to her shoulders and start building a new section. All this work was going to take much time and fray a lot of nerves. Finally, he will try to "restart" her and, hopefully, Jessica will open her eyes and be alive again.

The EEV descended rapidly. Joe kept an eye on the altimeter and counted in his head. He turned off the radio, disabled the locator beacon, and then had the computer level out--just barely skimming the trees.

The EEV continued skimming just above the trees, as far from any towns or roads as possible.

About forty minutes later, the EEV slowed down. Joe began to search for the house from the air. He found the highway leading to the house and followed it. It was dark outside, about 0300 hrs EST, but Joe knew the roads well, and was able to spot the house fairly quickly. He located a clearing large enough to accommodate the EEV nearby and extended its emergency landing gear. The EEV finally landed in the clearing and the automatic systems powered down.

After the hatch opened, Joe extended the emergency escape ramp and slid down, with Jessica in his arms, to the ground. He picked her up and cautiously approached the house. The external lights went on, upon detecting motion, and Joe found the front door. He placed Jessica on the ground, then went to the keypad next to the door and entered the unlock code for the door and alarm system. The indicator lamp on the status display turned green, and after hearing the sounds of locks being released, he opened the door. After a short check inside, Joe went back to the porch, picked up Jessica, and carried her inside, pulling the door shut behind him.

**Home, 0300 HRS**

The house was dark, with light only coming from the small green electro-luminescent lights along the floor. Joe avoided turning on any lights to avoid attracting attention and carried Jessica into the workroom. Laying her on the ground again, Joe went to the windows and checked out of the blinds. Satisfied that he wouldn't be immediately interrupted, he went over to a futon in the room and folded it into a bed. He placed Jessica on the bed and then went over to the work desk on the opposite side of the room.

The tables and equipment were covered with clear Mylar sheets. Joe pulled off a sheet, found a desk lamp and turned it on. Looking around the room, Joe found the computer equipment and removed the coverings. Seeing that everything was still plugged in, he booted the computer system. While its diagnostic programs were running, Joe pulled off several other coverings, revealing other computer equipment and the important diagnostic equipment he would need. He found what he was looking for: a universal, variable, sine-wave power supply and some long jumper leads and carried them over to the futon. Plugging the unit in, he turned it on and plugged in the leads. 

Joe went to the bathroom and located a medical kit inside a storage cabinet. Returning to Jessica, he undressed her, using a pair of scissors from the kit to cut her clothes from her body. 

After finishing, he removed the makeshift bandage that was covering her right hand. Cutting the cloth off, he cleaned the wound, about three inches in length, on her right palm. That done, he grabbed a dermal regenerating spray and sprayed the wound. Within seconds, the gash disappeared as new cells regenerated into place.

Setting the power supply at its lowest setting, he looked around inside the hole that the other Jessica made and located the power connections near her spinal cord and connected them. He switched the output to "on" and stood back. Some small shorts could be heard, but no movement. Joe went over to the computer and checks on its status. Its operating system was loaded and all appeared well. Going back to where he got the power supply, he located an I/O interface and an optical patch cord. He went over to Jessica and started work on the link between her and the computer. That done, Joe executed the computer's "Port Search" program, designed to connect to the I/O interface and attempt a communications link with Jessica's CPU. About half a minute later, which felt like an eternity to Joe, a link was established, and a window popped up on the screen showing the Alliance logo on the top left-hand corner. A three-dimensional diagram of a figure rotated around into full view. Facing forward it morphed into its final appearance: Jessica in an NEB uniform with a backpack and rifle. Unlike the Type 3, David, there were no armaments displayed. Some text appeared on the top right-hand corner of the window:

**AUTONOMOUS MOBILE SWORD**

**TYPE 4 REVISED**

"So that's what you are." Joe thought to himself. Despite the horror he witnessed, Joe still found it extraordinary that in just five years the Screamers evolved to the point where they could build robots that mimicked human beings. He began to explore the CPU, and then had the workstation run a diagnostic to check the integrity of its files.

The diagnostics ran for several minutes, but in the end, it revealed that file integrity was 100%. Jessica was still in there, intact. Joe located what appeared to be its schematics, downloaded them to the computer, and examined them. He also located what appeared to be a diagnostic program in the CPU and ran it. It revealed that there was damage to the spinal cord, main air/energy inlet, and main power cell. The rest of her systems were still intact but they were off-line. That included her main CPU, which was operating on a low power mode, the human equivalent to a coma. 

That done, he began patching the area where the other Type Four punched through, careful not to disturb the power and communications links. After sufficiently patching the hole in her chest and back, he went to the workstation and sent a command to restart her circulation and biological production systems. The command was sent successfully and blood started pumping through her body again; he'd repair the rest of her systems later. Checking that the patch was holding, Joe went and covered her up to her shoulders with a blanket from one end of the futon.

Checking the status of the systems on his screen, it reported that it will be five hours until skin health is back to at least 50% and another ten until 95%, save for the large hole. Her skin was barely alive but it was not dead. 

Joe finally calmed down again, and breathed another sigh of relief. She was going to make it after all, and it was going more smoothly than it had any right to.

Satisfied that Jessica was out of danger and the critical repairs were completed, Joe wandered into the kitchen to find some food and water. Joe went over to the sink and turned on the faucet. Cold, clean water flowed from the faucet and Joe drank directly from it. After several long gulps, he turned the faucet off and started checking the cabinets for food. He didn't bother checking the refrigerator; it was off-line and empty. Joe found some canned foods and searched the drawers for a can opener.

He went over to the counter and opened a can containing tortellini with meat sauce. Finding a plate in one of the cabinets, he went over to the halogen oven and heated the food up. The whole process took just seconds to complete. After removing the food from the oven, Joe grabbed a fork from a drawer and some napkins and went back to the work room. After checking on her condition, he ate. The pasta with meat sauce was like heaven after years of eating synthetics on Sirius. After finishing and depositing the dishes in the sink, he realized that he needed to take a shower. He checked on Jessica again before going to the bathroom, finding some towels, a change of clothes in another cabinet, and got the shower running.

The shower had an electronic control unit that maintained the desired water temperature; just push one button and the water would start running. Checking that the water was just warm enough, Joe stripped and got in.

There were shampoo and soap dispensers integrated into one wall of the shower stall. Joe dispensed some shampoo and started washing his hair. He paused for a moment to feel the clean water rush over his face. It felt like such a long time when he last showered; even though it was only a few days when he left the bunker to go negotiate peace. "Peace," he thought to himself, "that soldier was willing to get himself ripped to shreds to deliver that fateful message. No doubt about it, he was a brave man. Braver than anyone I had ever known." Sadly, he never knew his name, and there was no way to identify him since the Screamers took his remains underground.

He finished washing his hair and dispensed some soap and washed the rest of his body. He ached all over; days of walking, lack of sleep, and being thrown around, literally, by self-evolving robots intent on killing him, had taken their toll on the man. He already started to feel tired and turned off the water after finishing. He put on a pair of sweat pants, a t-shirt, sweatshirt, and socks. He put his clothes into a hamper in the bathroom--he'd wash them later--and went back into the work room.

Looking at her face, Joe noticed that she was already starting to look better. Her skin had a rosy color to it again, a far cry from the deathly pale when she "died" on Sirius. There was a rise and fall coming from her chest, probably an air-cooling system that kept her internal systems cooled down and provided oxygen to her skin. He gently stroked her cheek with his fingers. The smell was fading, but there was no question: she needed a bath. "Later," he thought to himself, "after I get some rest." He went over to the work station and set a program to wake him up if there was any change on Jessica's status and an alarm for 1000 hours this morning. He got an extra blanket and some pillows from one end of the futon and laid down on the floor. After settling into a comfortable resting position on the floor, he drifted off to sleep exhausted.

**0800 Hours EST**

In northern Wisconsin, at a house just a fifteen minute drive from River Falls, an old hand-made teak wood and grey leather encased radio turned itself on. Classical music lulled its owner from his slumber. An old man, in his late nineties, turning one-hundred next year, opened his eyes and yawned. He got out of bed and stretched; wearing an old t-shirt and pajama bottoms, he was surprisingly limber and healthy for man his age. He turned off the radio, a Roberts R737, which he bought from Harrods in London almost eighty years ago. Since the switch over to digital satellite broadcasts, the analogue stations were phased out. He used a vintage FM stereo transmitter hooked up to his computer so that he could still enjoy his radio collection.

After showering and shaving, he went into the kitchen and made himself breakfast. He had eggs, bacon, white toast, orange juice and tea--a typical English breakfast. He discovered it after he went on a trip to Europe when he was in his twenties, which included a tour of southern England.

After washing the dishes and brushing his teeth, he went and checked his e-mail. The usual advertisements and NEB propaganda were promptly trashed. He moved on to his personal correspondence: nothing special, just the usual messages from his friends giving him their condolences on the lost of his godson, Joseph Hendrickson. He was there when he was born, saw him grow up, and taught him computers. 

"I failed him," Jason thought, "I didn't move fast enough. I should have gone there myself" 

Sighing he composed a few Thank Yous and sent them. Just as he was going to tend to the garden a flashing icon on his desktop caught his eye. Accessing it, he realized that it was an alert: someone was in the house he was caring for back in Michigan. Sighing, and thinking out loud, "good morning my butt," he launched a program that connected him to the other house's computer network, and accessed the log files.

0313, exterior lights activated, motion detected, east side

0314, front door unlocked via entry code 89934, level 2

0315, entry, front door, level 2

0315, locked, front door, level 2

0315, movement, living room, level 2

0315, movement, hallway, level 2

0316, entry, work room, level 2

0317, Terminal "Work Station 1" online, diagnostic startup

0318, Terminal "Work Station 1" startup complete, status nominal (Refer to log files for "Work Station 1" for details on system activity)

0323, Halogen oven 1 online...

Jason finished reading the log and sighed. "Another squatter I guess." he muttered to himself. The house had cameras in every room except for the bedrooms, bathrooms, and closets. He accessed the camera for the work room and a window popped up.

"What?" he said realizing that there were _two_ people inside, not one. One of them was resting on the futon, a woman covered with a blanket, with cables snaking out from under the blanket that appeared to be connected to the work station and a power supply. The other was resting on the floor, asleep. He zoomed the camera in on his face. The face had a nasty bruise near the right eye, and apparently hadn't shaven in days, but he was easily recognized.

"Oh my god!" He said out loud.

"But how..." he said. "The east side of the house" he muttered and then switched to the external cameras on the east side of the house. Switching to infrared mode, he found the EEV on the field nearby, its engines still cooling down.

After deciding that it was probably best that he call him after he woke up, Jason composed a quick e-mail message for Joe, timed to alert him when he woke up and accessed the work station via remote.

After viewing the activity logs for the work station and then accessing Jessica's CPU, Jason let out a low whistle. 

"Oh my god. They evolved that quickly." He said to himself.

Jason skimmed through the information as it appeared on the screen.

"Autonomous Mobile Sword Type Four... biological tissue production... matter/energy conversion... good god" muttering as he examined the specifications.

After viewing the damage report and the current status of her systems Jason winced.

"Ouch. She's going to need some work." he muttered.

He disconnected from the work station and set his terminal to page him on his wrist watch when Joe called him. He glanced at the chronometer on the desktop and then his watch: 0843 EST. He set an alarm on his watch to go off at 1000 EST out of habit.

As excited and relieved as he was, Jason was a very calm and patient man. He learned a long time ago that rushing into a situation was very bad form--very bad form indeed. Also, the fact that Joe came here rather than to San Francisco meant that he was probably on the run; just as well. After Secretary Greene was executed for treason, he felt he had to step up his efforts to contact him. "No, better not make any assumptions until you have more facts. Don't assume anything." He thought to himself remembering his old college professor's teachings. Besides, when Joe gets that message he's going to get quite a shock; he obviously didn't expect anyone knew he was there.

He chucked to himself. "He should know better than to drop in like that." He joked to himself. He didn't mind it at all, especially under the circumstances. He loved Joe as if he were his own son, and Jason was a very understanding man. Besides, when Jason got angry he tended to act like a stand-up comic; complete with smoke and fire shooting out of his ears.

Jason went on and resumed his morning routine. It would be a another hour until Joe would wake up, unless the woman's status changed--which didn't seem likely. At least his daily routine would give him something to do to kill time until 1000 hours rolled around. After tending the garden, he'd go for a short run.

**1000 Hours**

A 1000 hours EST, the work station speakers began producing a beeping sound, which steadily increased in volume or until someone went over and turned it off.

Joe awoke with a groan. His body still ached; sleeping on the floor didn't help his back. After standing up and stretching, he felt better. Despite the short rest period, Joe felt more refreshed and relaxed than he had in days.

After turning off the alarm, Joe went over to where Jessica was and stroked her check again. Then he went back to the work station. Everything seemed ok and then another window popped up with what appeared to be a message.

"Someone knows I'm here. He thought as the adrenaline rose inside him until a name caught his eye: Osborne, Jason A.

"Jason?" he thought to himself. "I thought he died just after I took command."

Then he noticed that the name of the recipient was his last name, its letters switched around to spell a different name with the middle initial, J, obviously referring to his first name. Joe grinned, "Clever."

He reread the message:

To: Keandon, Chris J.

From: Osborne, Jason A.

Subject: Hello old friend

Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2078 08:42:14 EST

Mime-Version: 12.1.2

Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

X-UIDL: bccec99c97fc9d891f0776492bdcd368

Status: U

Chris,

I heard that you were in the neighborhood. The news came as quite a pleasant surprise to me. I would have called you sooner, but I decided that you needed to get some rest first. Your journey must have been a long and exhausting one. I checked on the Misses, definitely your "type" btw, and she seems to be doing fine. 

Give me a call when you've settled in and I'll come over and visit.

Jason

P.S. I scrambled up your name.

"How did he know..." he said and stopped mid sentence when he realized that the house was wired with a very advanced and complex computer network. His entry must have alerted Jason to their presence here. Accessing the work station from a remote computer would be no problem for Jason since he was the man who designed and installed the network in the house.

Joe composed a short reply telling him that he got the message and that he was welcome to come by as soon as he could. After sending it, using the alias that he created for him, Joe went into the kitchen and got two large metal pots and a ladle. Going back to the bathroom, he filled the pot with some hot water from the shower and grabbed a bar of soap from the cabinet, along with some washcloths and extra towels. Joe went back into the work room and set the pots down on the floor next to the futon. Joe went over to the work station and rechecked Jessica's status; unchanged from last night, good.

He went back over to the futon and removed the blanket that was covering her. Remaining careful around the power and communication links, Joe began washing off the dirt and grime that had accumulated over the past few days.

Positioning the empty pot under her head, he began to wash her hair. He took the ladle, dunked it into the pot and poured it over her hair. Taking some shampoo, he worked up a lather. Her hair felt soft and silky to the touch. He continued to revel in the feel of her hair for just a few more seconds before rinsing her hair. After a few more rinses, her hair was clean and only the smell of the shampoo remained.

Placing the ladle into the pot, he got a washcloth and dipped it into the pot. After rubbing some soap onto the cloth he wiped her face and neck. He began at her forehead and worked down, to her cheeks, her mouth, her ears, and finally her neck, ending at the collarbone before dipping the cloth into the pot again.

He washed each arm and shoulder clean, then continued down along her body, washing her chest, once again being careful around the bandage and cables, then washing her legs and her feet.

Carefully turning her over, he washed her back and backside before drying her. Placing her on her back again, he covered her with a clean blanket.

He had noticed the bruises and laser burns on her arms and legs from her fight with the other Type Four. She had fought for him. _For_ me, Joe thought. He gazed over her body, as he washed her, with love and compassion in his eyes. His eyes spoke volumes but the gist of it was he loved and cared for her deeply. He bent down and kissed her forehead. Tears formed in his eyes as he straightened up and went over to the work station.

He rechecked the status of her systems before going into the kitchen to get something to eat.

**1117 Hours EST**

Jason finished packing some clothes, and an old black backpack containing a portable workstation, which was loaded with custom software that was far more advanced than what the work station had. He received Joe's e-mail fifteen minutes after 1000 hours EST, wanting him over there ASAP. He sent a reply telling him he was on his way. 

He went to the garage and loaded his vehicle, a CNX 850, a fast and maneuverable hover car that received some inevitable customizing from its owner. That customizing came in the form of engine modifications that increased power and efficiency, a specially-tuned software package that allowed him full control over all vehicle functions and allowed him to operate independently of the NEB Vehicle Traffic Network. With these modifications, he could travel from River Falls, Wisconsin to Alpena, Michigan at supersonic speeds in less than an hour without anyone seeing or hearing him. The styling of the car was reminiscent of an early 1990s Toyota Celica, like what his brother owned before it got wrecked, except it was larger and had four enhanced turbo-fan engines instead of the Celica's front-engine front-wheel drive train. With a special coating that allowed it to change color, it was a flying chameleon. 

Inside, the interior was modeled after a sports car, with four form-fitting self-adjusting bucket seats covered in Connolly leather, leather-wrapped controls, and Wilton wool carpeting, all in tan. Burled walnut wooden accents made for a warm and inviting interior. The electronics package had a rear-mounted holographic imaging display, a front-mounted holographic imaging display, a full audio/visual entertainment system, and high-speed computer access to the network.

After securing his luggage in the storage compartments, he got in and powered up the car. The four turbo­fan engines started up with a faint whir, building up to a quiet, yet powerful, whine. After the computer finished its pre-flight diagnostics, he opened the garage door, and the vehicle slowly rolled out.

Making one final check, certain that this trip would be quiet, he strapped himself in securely, took the controls and the vehicle began to ascend vertically into the air. Once clear of the trees, Jason put the vehicle into horizontal flight and the vehicle accelerated forward. While accelerating, Jason took the vehicle into a gentle turn to the right, turning toward the general direction to Michigan and went into supersonic flight mode, full-throttle, pushing Jason back into his seat and accelerating the vehicle up to Mach 1.5. He reveled in the wonderful sensation of speed and g-forces that this car gave him and smiled. It was going to be a good day after all.

But his smile faded when the implications of what happened finally sank into him. He almost lost him, thought he lost him, to this war, because he didn't move fast enough to help anyone. But seeing her, the Type Four, made him realize that there was more going on. He didn't have very much time to study her specifications; he only glanced at them.

She, the Type Four, was created by the production facility and was a weapon according to the specifications: a robot designed to mimic the behavior and appearance of human beings, infiltrate, and eventually kill. Yet she was here, on Earth, and being cared for.

He shook himself out of that train of thought, remembering that he was missing one important element of this situation: the beginning. There would be no easy ending if he didn't know where to begin. As his college professor had quoted from Alice Through the Looking Glass: Start at the beginning, when you reach the end, stop.

He put the vehicle into autopilot, called up the data on the Type Four onto the HUD and reviewed it again. When he arrived, he needed to know everything about her.

Her skin, which was living tissue, was going to require some place sterile. It wouldn't be safe to take her to a hospital, or even a lab: security was tight and they kept highly accurate records of everything from how many tissue regenerators are purchased to how many paperclips are kept in the secretary's desk. Transportation would also be a problem; he didn't have anything set up to carry someone on a stretcher. 

They were going to have to clean a room at the house, remove the furniture, and lay plastic sheeting from floor to ceiling. They'd also need medical supplies, instruments and, of course, someone who can handle the sight of blood and do the surgery on her skin. Despite his brother's interest in medical science, Jason could still not get used to the sight of blood. After making a mental list and then writing down on a PDA, he changed his course to a nearby town; he had a few stops to make before he arrived.

**Breakfast**

Joe settled for some more canned goods, this time some fruit. There was only canned and dry boxed goods in the house; the refrigerator was empty. But there was more than enough food to last him until Jason arrived, and it would be such a relief to see family again.

When Joe told Jessica that he didn't have anybody, he was telling the truth. After he took over command two years ago, he received a report from Secretary Green that his godfather had died of natural causes. When Joe realized that Green was already dead and the messages were faked, the false news was probably meant to give Joe less of an incentive to contact someone else on earth independently of Alliance. He had that privilege, but he had never used it. His men under his command could only send and receive messages through Alliance command and decided that he shouldn't use his power for personal reasons.

Joe wasn't surprised when he thought that Jason had died. He was nearly one-hundred years old, and that was pretty old by today's standards. Then again, Jason was very health-conscious, and quite capable of staying out of trouble. He was also quite adept at getting out of trouble.

He went back into the work room and placed his breakfast on an end table, sat down next to Jessica, and ate. 

He ate in silence, and just watched her. She seemed so peaceful and at ease.

Good Lord you're beautiful. Joe quietly said.

After finishing his breakfast he just sat there, watching her sleep and stroking her hair.

Joe was so lost in his thoughts and on Jessica's hair that he almost jumped out of his chair when Jason called out.

Yo! Anybody home? Jason called out from the front door. Chuckling to himself Oh I always wanted to say that. he said to himself.

In here. Joe called back, getting out of the chair and going to the door.

Jason came to the door of the work room and paused for a moment.

Jason came forward and gave Joe a hug.

You ok? he asked.

"Yeah. You look pretty good for a dead man. Joe said, a smile spreading across his face.

Jason said and they laughed.

I am so glad you're not dead. Jason said.

So am I. I need your help. Joe said, his tone serious.

I know, I reviewed the specs on the way over here. Jason said, his manner now business like and no-nonsense. He went over to where Jessica was laying on the futon.

What's her status? he asked?

Unchanged. All I've done so far was hook up power and a computer link. I bandaged the wounds on her skin and restarted her circulation system. I haven't tried to wake her up yet. After I got that message, I wanted to wait until you got here. Joe said.

Good. Well, I think it's safe to try to wake her up. I looked at the system software; the base Operating System is similar to Unix. I couldn't read all of it, some of the code is written in forms that I've never seen before. Plus, I didn't want to invade her memories. Jason said as he put his computer bag on the desk and got his portable workstation out. He hooked it up to a free network port on the main workstation and booted up. That done he linked up to Jessica's CPU and ran another round of diagnostics–these more advanced than what was on the main work station.

My portable system has some special software, and I modified some of it based on the design of her CPU. he said.

The diagnostic cycle completed and displayed that her CPU was intact and fully functional, just on standby mode.

If I'm wrong she's not going to be able to move. Her spinal cord is completely severed. She'll be paralyzed from the neck down until it's repaired. he said.

I know. She's going to need surgery. Joe said.

Yes, and it'll have to be done here. It would be too dangerous to move her and, even if we could, it would attract too much attention. Jason said.

My thoughts exactly. We're going to need to set up a room. Joe said.

I'm already ahead of you Joe. I made a few stops along the way and got a few little things. Jason said, grinning.

So. Do you want me to wake her up? he said, sounding uncomfortable. He wasn't a doctor, and though Jessica couldn't move, he still didn't like the idea of her screaming her head off.

Joe didn't say anything for several seconds. He had her here, she was going to live. Was this the right thing to do? He then remembered her last words.

Do it. he said.

Jason said and went to the power supply to increase the output. Then he went to his work station, sending the commands that would bring Jessica out of her coma. The process of bringing her CPU back into normal operation took several minutes. Though the work station signaled that she was running, there was no visual change; she still appeared to be sleeping.

She should have opened her eyes and started talking by now. Jason said, standing up and going over to Jessica. He stopped and realized that something else may be wrong. He went back to his work station and rechecked her status. 

He then said 

Joe said.

It's ok. Just go over to her and wake her up. Jason said, his face showing a knowing smile.

Joe looked skeptical but went over to Jessica and leaned down.

he said softly. He stroked her cheek.

A moment later, she opened her eyes and looked around the room, her movements were artificial, and she didn't blink. She focused on Joe and froze there, unmoving. Joe was about to back away, thinking that something was wrong.

Then, she spoke:

... love. She said. Tears started trickling down her face. She blinked away some of the tears. Joe wiped the rest away.

I love you Joe. Jessica said. Tears continued to fall down her face.

Joe leaned back down and kissed her, tears were now trickling down his face.

I love you too. He said. He took her into his arms and held her, being mindful of the cables coming out from her chest.

Jason left the room, satisfied that they were ok, and went back to the hover car to unload the supplies they would need for the rest of her repairs.

The next few days were going to be long and hard.

**End, Part One.**


	2. Part 2: A few details.

Title: Jessica (part 2 of ?)

Author: Clu Osborne

Date: July 12, 2002

Disclaimer:

This story is a work of fiction of my own writing. Some of the descriptions and dialogue are not mine, especially early on in the story. They are from the movie "Screamers." It is the property of the companies, the cast, and crew who made this movie.

Summary: 

After Jessica "dies" Joe makes a decision, risking his life. What happens next is different from how it originally ended in the movie. This story leads Commander Joseph Hendrickson and Jessica Hansen on a journey of love, hope, fear, justice, and peace. 

Author's Notes: 

I realize that the first part of this story was written almost two years ago. In that time, I've been busying in school, and suffering from writer's block. However, I'm going to continue yet again.

While there's no sex or graphic violence yet, I have changed the rating to R in preparation that and descriptions of surgery and other less dignified things that are part of life. These two are in love, so sex will be part of that. Nothing wild or crazy I promise.

I enjoy science fiction, both on paper and on the screen, both small and large. I enjoyed "Screamers" but the ending didn't sit well with me. Joe had lost so much, and had a chance to get some measure of happiness back, only to have it taken away from him at the end. In response to this, I wrote this story, as a sequel, to give Joe his happiness, and to allow all the people who died on Sirius 6B to be finally laid to rest.

And to give both the New Economic Block and Alliance a big kick in the butt for their stupid war and their betrayals.

**Jessica  
  
Part Two  
**

  
1130 hrs EST

Jason knew that this wasn't going to be easy, but in his joy of learning that Joe was quite alive and well he had forgotten a few important details. 

As Jason went out to the hover car, one of those details just hit him: both sides knew where they were.

"Oh Shit!" He muttered out loud. 

Going over to the EEV, now covered by an infrared camo net he had brought along, he climbed up into the cockpit. In his joy that his godson was still alive he had forgotten about it, and several other important details. The couple had already been here for at least eight hours and it would be all the time needed to mount an operation. It may already be too late, but this wouldn't hurt, and every second counted. Opening some panels around the communications console, he ripped out some wiring, leaving no doubt that the transponder and radio were now totally disabled. Jason also found and pulled the flight data and audio/visual recorders, another important piece of evidence that they'd need. After stowing them in the hover car, he ran back into the house.

"Joe, oh god, I'm sorry. I just realized, we can't stay here," gasping between breaths, winded from running and adrenaline.

Joe was sitting on the futon with his forehead touching Jessica's when Jason burst in. A look of puzzlement crossed both their faces.

"Why? What's wrongshit!" Joe said, mentally kicking himself for not having more sense. 

Joe was damned lucky that the NEB didn't spot the EEV and attempt to intercept it. How they had failed to do so mystified himeither it was dumb luck or they did know and were watching. NEB's intelligence was actually good, and it since it was likely they had a name, it would probably be only a matter of minutes before they're found.

Alliance was another problem. They knew for a fact that Joe was still alivethey'd have to be pretty stupid to think that the EEV would crash just as he was entering Earth's atmosphereand with his file it wouldn't take a genius to know where he might be inside NEB territory. If they were really desperate to shut him up, it wouldn't be long before they had unfriendly company; probably Alliance Special Ops out of North Dakota. 

Still awake and aware, the same realization hit her. "Shit." _Will it ever be over?_

No one could be faulted for not thinking. Everyone was operating on stress and adrenaline now.

Among the other things that had slipped everyone's mind was radiation. The couple was exposed to radioactive fallout while on Sirius 6B, and though they weren't in immediate danger, they would both have to be decontaminated. Fortunately, the supplies that Jason had brought along included medications to counteract any symptoms that may crop up.

They'd have to move fast, and be out of here as quickly as possible. Priority one was getting Jessica prepped for transport. Priority two was getting to a safe house. Moving her had its risks, but staying here was far more dangerous. Once they were safe for, then the repairs on Jessica and their radiation treatments would begin.

The stress of moving so fast and trying to take everything into consideration was starting to give Jason a headache. He ignored it and pushed on; get them to safety, then worry about everything else.

Though his car wasn't equipped for medical transport, they'd have to improvise. Once again, Jason had kept moving her in mind and had brought along a body board that would fit inside his hover car. After securing her, the only thing to do then was to get her some clothing and set up another power supply (not necessarily in that order). The one that she was connected to was running off AC. A quick check revealed that the power supply was plugged into an uninterruptible power supply. The only other connection was to the desktop workstation. Since Jessica was online and her systems checked out ok, there was no need to keep her connected until she was in the car.

All that remained was to destroy any data on the workstation's storage drives and remove as much evidence of what happened in the house. Rather pointless considering that whoever shows up will know that someone was here recently, but the less information the enemy had the better. Besides, on the trip over, some very horrible thoughts had gone through Jason's head_. If the wrong people knew and captured her, the things that they'd do _He shuddered. _Keep your mind on what you can do._

The plan formed, Jason quickly briefed them both on what was to happen. While Joe went and gathered his clothing and what was left of Jessica's, along with the med kit he used, Jason disconnected Jessica's data link, wiped the storage devices of its data and activity logs, programmed the network to automatically record any intrusions, then powered down and unplugged the workstation from the UPS before unplugging it from the wall. Being as careful as possible not to disturb the fragile connections, he taped the units together with several pieces of old-fashioned duct tape. 

On the UPS' internal battery, they'd have fifteen minutes to move her to the car, which would be enough time to tie it into the car's electrical system. Joe came back in, the collected items in a trash bag. Jason took the bag, passing Joe a set of clothes.

"Get her dressed, she's on the UPS' battery right now. I'm going out to the hover car to get it ready then I'll help you get her onto the stretcher," grabbing his laptop bag on his way out.

"Got it" Joe said, and moved without delay.

In his hands were a white button down long-sleeved shirt, a soft pair of gray sweat pants, and a pair of wool socks. Keeping her covered with the blanket, he carefully put on the sweat pants, followed by the socks. He didn't bother with a bra or panties; there wasn't anything on hand that would fit, and she hadn't eaten or drank anything that would be fully digested to pose a problem yet. Removing the blanket, leaving her nude from the waist up, he lifted her upper body, taking care not to do any more harm. After slipping the shirt on and buttoning it, he covered her with the blanket.

"I'm afraid," she said.

She was still so scared of becoming what she hated: a killing machine. It was still a mystery to her why her attack programming didn't kick in; she had plenty of opportunities to kill Joe and take the EEV. Why didn't she? 

During their hike to the EEV, she had contemplated it to no answer. She had a computer coupled to her neural net that analyzed and recorded information, giving her tactics, and taking over completely when it was time to perform her primary function. While thinking it through, she had found that she still had complete operational control over the computer, not vice versa like before

Doing her best to hide the wince and shudder, she let those horrible thoughts and memories run their course. While she had not taken a life per se, her body had, and undeniably she had blood on her hands. While her personality ran, the only person she did want to kill was that bastard Becker. If she knew then what she did now, she'd had blasted him into junk back in the bunker. 

Whether it was a curse or a blessing, though she had killed during the first few weeks of her activation, she had only remembered it through the replays of the computer's performance files. When the computer determined that she was in a position to attack, her personality would shut down, and the computer completely took over. Even if she hadn't killed anyone, she could remember every act with perfect clarity. 

_Oh stop it! Please stop._ She thought to herself, the computer obeying her commands by stopping the reading of its files.

"I know." He kissed her again with such care it seemed as if he was afraid she would break.

He was afraid too. Not of her turning into a killing machine, but of losing her again, of failing to put the men under his command to rest, of being caught. It was a lot to handle, and frankly he thought that it was almost over, but then he remembered that his former superiors would probably not let him go.

Joe looked at her, and realized that he was very much in love. He didn't think it possible to love again after spending so many years fighting a hopeless war. Any hope he had of falling in love again had completely died when his ex-wife left him, no longer willing to stand by him.

Jason came back within a few minutes, a body board and neck collar in hand. A quick glance at his watch showed that at least ten minutes had passed. 

"Miss, I'm going to place this collar around your neck, then we're going to roll you onto the body board. The collar is going to keep you from moving your headwhich is exactly what we want to keep from making any internal damage worse, ok?"

"Ok." 

After placing the body board next to her on the futon, and the collar in place, they were ready to place her onto the stretcher.

"Joe, we're going to roll her toward us, slide the board into place, then roll her back onto the stretcher, clear?" Said in a no-nonsense tone.

"Check"

"Ok, on three. One. Two Three"

In unison, they carefully rolled her onto her side. As they held her in place, they both slid the stretcher under her, and then as carefully rolled her into position.

Once she was securely strapped to the body board, Jason addressed Jessica directly. "Ok, we are going to move you to the car now. Just relax and you'll be just fine. Joe, we're gonna take this easy."

With a quick check outside, they made their way swiftly over to the waiting car. After laying her, board and all, on the fully reclined bucket seat Joe belted her in and covered her with the same blanket while Jason plugged the UPS into one of the car's high-voltage accessory outlets. He also reconnected his portable workstation to monitor her in case of a problem, setting it up behind her in the back seat.

Joe sat in the back, belted in, while Jason took the front driver's seat. Jessica, whose head was now immobilized, focused her eyes on Joe, who smiled, stroking her hair as Jason put the car in gear and they left. She smiled back, though still scared.

This time, they'd go further north, into Canada, crossing the border near the city of Sault Ste. Marie. They'd drive on regular highways, in their case US 23, which still existed despite the use of hover cars. They'd be looking for anything in the air, and despite the hover car's ability to avoid detection, it was nearly noon and they could still be visually sighted. When they got close enough, he'd fly over the border into Canada then back onto the ground, and then take Highway 17 north. 

Of course, he wasn't entirely choosing the destination out of a hat. He had a safe house in the Algoma District of Ontario about forty miles north of Sault Ste. Marie. Jason had purchased the house many years ago when he realized that, one day, he might have to disappear. He also quietly moved Joe's family belongings there in case the NEB decided to seize his Aunt's house. When he had bought the house, it was through another buyer, and he was dead certain that no one outside of his family or personal circle of friends knew he owned it. Provided they were all careful, they could hide there indefinitely. Just as well, since the repairs on Jessica will take several days, maybe two weeks, and they'd need a Doctor to perform the surgeries. After examining the schematics and software (at least what could be read), there was a level of complexity well beyond his understanding of medical science, and a Doctor would stand a better chance of succeeding.

This new Screamer was a complete departure from any machine or robot he had ever known. The diagnostics and schematics only scratched the proverbial surface. Jason got the impression that her body was more advanced than any cybernetic organism. How advanced, he wouldn't know until he scanned her with the quantum 3D imager so he could get a full assessment of the damage. But, just judging by the sophistication of what he saw alone, she was more like a synthetic human than a robot with living tissue.

She didn't have any metal, no titanium or other alloys. Her skeletal structure was some sort of composite-like material, its strength greater than any alloy or plastic, or bone. Just looking at her eyes, they appeared to be biological in origin, not cameras. Judging by the instrumentation alone, she has as many systems as the human body does, and modeled similarly. There were no servos, or copper wire, or anything that could be considered conventional in terms of contemporary technology. Everything was biological or a completely new form of technology.

That's when it hit him, what the last report meant: evolution. They're evolving into a more advanced form, beyond their original designs into something more advanced. But, is Jessica the prototype, or just off the assembly line? It's so ironic that this war had brought about something so extraordinary.

Since the shooting war had started four years ago, the Commonwealthconsisting of Canada, England, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australiaalong with Japan, Switzerland, and most of Western Europe, had detached from the New Economic Block, while most of Asia, Russia, and the Middle East remained. Ironically, the United States was literally divided, like Berlin during the 20th century cold war. This time, the great wall was the Mississippi river. The NEB were represented in Washington D.C., with Alliance based in San Francisco. Some countries sided with the Alliancenamely Germany, France, Belgium, Austria, and Italywhile others remained neutral.

Despite their power, the NEB was actually more like a political party, with the board having powerful political influences in the various governments. The New Economic Block was founded back when the first colonies started, around 2050, when the realization that long-range government control would have been impossible (like the British rule of North America). Though based on Earth, their government influence extended to every colony.

The NEB was a conglomeration of all the colonies and Earth governments, and they had total control over space travel, exploration and colonization. While the corporate board didn't actually have the power to implement policy, they certainly had influence.

_God, has it really been ten years?_ Jason thought to himself as he drove. While he was too old to be a soldier, he was far from uninvolved in the war. Jason was a spy, not a "sexual acrobat who leaves a trail of dead beautiful women like blown roses behind him," but a no-nonsense, imaginative, "do what needs to be done" one. To quote the same character, the "original" James Bond from the parody "Casino Royale," Jason was "occasionally devoted, sublimely disinterested." The obvious exception right now being the two people whose lives were now in his hands, and the turns that damned war had taken recently.

This whole mess began just over twenty years ago, when the fossil fuel supplies had finally been depleted. Though fusion had been discovered, and was widespread, it was impractical for anything but supplying electricity on a very large scale; anti-matter was still being developed, and was far from being small or safe enough to use in a space ship. With the growing demands for electricity and the requirements of space travel, fuel cells and fission wouldn't cut it either due to safety or supply problems. Then, Berynium was discovered: an element with the highest energy density in the history of man. Truly, it was the answer to the growing energy demands of space travel, space exploration, and colonization.

Despite the propaganda to the contrary, the energy crisis wasn't anywhere near as crippling as the 1973 gasoline shortage. For one thing, scientists and industry knew for a long time that the old supplies would eventually be depleted, and that alternatives would have to be developed. While space travel was becoming a necessity, Earth and the colonies were capable of being self sufficient. Fusion power plants, fuel cell powered vehicles, and extensive recycling programs had solved many ecological and economic problems. But, being motivated by corporate greed, which later turned into fear and desperation, the New Economic Block wouldn't take no for an answer when the mining strike began on Sirius.

Alliance was a union of sorts, made of up Scientists, Miners, and other people sympathetic to their cause. They were tired of the contracts that the NEB made them sign, and the threat of being forced to mine again with a gun to their heads. Originally, they were based on Sirius 6B, as the mining strike began there, but their word and beliefs spread quickly to Earth, and a home base was established in San Francisco.

It really wasn't the fault of Alliance at first; the corporate board of the NEB had started it when they turned a blind eye to the problems with mining the crap. For the first four years, people in the Alliance such as Greene were hard at work negotiating with the NEB, via the United Nations, to resolve the strike peaceably and solve the mining problems. 

However, as the days dragged on into weeks, then months, and then years, with no solution in sight, and tensions mounting on both sides, something had to give. On May 1, 2074, by unanimous vote of the NEB corporate boarda true example of group think if Jason ever saw onenuclear and biological bombing raids hit the mining city on Sirius 6B from their military bases on Io. For two straight months, every horrible weapon of mass destruction, nuclear disc bombs, chain bombs, bacteria crystals, was dropped onto the cities. Between the nuclear winters and biological plagues, Sirius' ecosystem was devastated, tens of thousands of lives were lost, and decades of work colonizing the planet were gone.

That was the final straw for the Alliance, and with that came the immediate withdraw of all negotiation, an uproar in the Untied Nations, the fueling of a new cold war on Earth, and the waging of a shooting war on what was left of Sirius 6B. The hatred of the NEB had literally divided the Untied States, forming a new dividing border along the Mississippi river. If it weren't for people like Secretary Greene, and perhaps the spy network, World War III would have started not too long after. Though there were many sympathizers, the NEB had more troops, easily outnumbering Alliance soldiers on the battlefield. Then, five years later, word came of the new weapon system that was developed by Alliance, "The Autonomous Mobile Sword" or Screamer as they were dubbed. 

Fully autonomous, highly adaptable, and deadly, they were the most frightening killing machines ever devised. Set deep under the mountains near Alamogordo, where the first Berynium isotope was discovered, a fully automated and self-sufficient production facility was built. Powered by a fusion reactor, fully equipped with labs, processing, fabrication and storage facilities, the production facility was run by a massive bank of the newest generation of hybrid neural/quantum mainframe computers. Faster, more sophisticated, and more intelligent than anything the world had ever seen, they oversaw the construction and deployment of the Type 1 units. Gathering information, both from active and inactive units and the remains of their targets and other scavenged materials, they revised and refined the basic design. The first practical result was the Type 1 Reptiles and Type 2 Soldiers. While the facility was fully automated, there were communications between the mainframes and Alliance. Primarily reports on its operating status.

Just before Greene was arrested and executed for treasonhe had been one of Jason's government contactshe had managed to send a classified report indicating some startling activity from the production facility. The facility had closed communications just after its report on the deployment, and subsequent failure, of the Type 2 Soldiers. The last report was deemed "unusual" as instead of the usual statistics and figures associated with manufacturing and updating the things, it simply stated one word: evolution.

At that point, Alliance shutdown all but a few communications channels on Sirius' sat network. They made no attempt to retrieve their remaining survivors, intending to leave them there to rot, or find some way to eliminate them. Before Secretary Greene could go public and stop their plans, he was arrested, tried, convicted, and executed for treason and espionage.

_Stupid, that's the word to describe this war, stupid. This was like Desert Storm or Vietnam, wars that were caused more by politics than beliefs,_ Joe thought, _and now fears_.

The United Nations had outlawed capital punishment over half a century ago. Which was one of the reasons why Joe and Chuck were so doubtful of Jefferson's news of Greene's execution; it was illegal. If either side won the war, certain people would be going to jail for the rest of their lives. On the other hand, if they kept fighting to a stalemate, no one would go to jail. Sirius 6B may have been a NEB colony, but biological and nuclear weapons of mass destruction were outlawed over seventy years ago after the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, which banned the production, possession, and use of such weapons. The fact that the NEB government had produced them, stored them, and later used them has made them war criminals, and the entire corporate board was liable for life imprisonment.

There wasn't much to see traveling up. The driver had driven this route countless times. He knew every curve, every landmark, and every bump in the road, which he felt despite the smooth ride his hover car gave him.

For Joe, it was home; a home he hadn't seen in over ten years. There were still patches of snow, (it could snow as late as April) but there was green. Trees, grass, clean water, animals, birds and insects far as the eye could see. Sirius 6B was like that before the war, truly paradise. Because of the raids it would take decades, maybe centuries, before its ecosystem would repair itself. Being back on Earth, he realized that the very same thing was going to happen on Triton IV_may_ have already happened. _Another ravaged planet and more loss of life. For what? FOR WHAT? Fear. Those fucking cowards._

For Jessica, it was a new experience for her. Though she was laid down on the seat, she could see a clear blue sky above her, and the treetops passing overhead. Oh, how she wished she could reach out and touch them. She couldn't feel anything below her neck; her diagnostic routines confirmed it. It was unnerving not being able to move, or use her hands. She loved her hands, loved the textures, the sensations of hot and cold, smooth and rough, soft and hard. When Joe kissed her, she had focused on him, and it was such a calming effect. For right now, she was perfectly content right where she was, taking in what she could perceive.

However, there were some things everyone involved needed to know, and for a start

"What's your name? I've had the habit of forgetting to ask someone their name until I've known them for months, and I don't think Joe's introduced me either has he?"

Undoubtedly true since she had no idea who this man was.

"Jessica Hanson, Screamer." Said with a touch of humor and a trace of disgust.

"Jason Osborne, human. I'd shake hands, but I'm driving."

"Just as well, I can't shake my head at the moment."

"That won't last, I promise. You may not be entirely human, but your systems are modeled after its biological counterparts very closely, and spinal injuries are easily repaired today. Don't worry about that, you'll be on your own two feet again."

"That's what I'm afraid of." She said, barely louder than a whisper.

Joe caught the meaning, and looked her in the eye.

"Listen, I know that you're afraid of what you might do, but I don't think that's going to happen. Otherwise, you would've left me for dead back on Sirius."

"But you don't understand, I have an attack computer. When I kill, it takes over completely and I blank out. Yes, I have full control over it now, but I'm not sure why, or even if it will last."

"If I thought that you were dangerous, I would've left you there on concrete floor and hauled ass off that hell hole. Even if you are, we'll find a way." With that, he kissed her with such tenderness and passion it put her fears to rest, if only for a while.

That certainly answered some of his questions about why she was here.

"I take it then that you were damaged fighting someone or something." Jason observed.

"Someone" she murmured. _Yeah, you could say that._ That someone being herself, a newer version of her undoubtedly sent by the facility to replace her when it became clear that she had broken her programming. In a way, it was relief because it saved her from having to explain to Joe her true nature; her twin's presence explained things more effectively than words ever could. She didn't exactly want to explain that. A few seconds later, she was saved from having to from Joe.

"It was another Screamer, her twin actually. Apparently, the powers that be knew that she wasn't going to kill me, so they sent another Jessica to take her place. She, the twin, tried to steal the EEV, but Jessica stopped her and fought her. Unfortunately, she got districted by the announcement of the EEV's countdown long enough for her twin to punch a hole right through her chest."

"Ouch. I also take it that this evil twin is gone now?"

"Yeah. She got blown apart by the EEV's pre-launch burn. It seems that she was too busy trying to stun me with her screaming to realize the danger she was in."

"Really?" _Now that seemed odd, any intelligence would've stayed away from such a danger, unless _

"Any idea why?" Jason asked, addressing them both.

"Probably a factory defect." Which came from Jessica.

That elicited a few chuckles out of the two men, though Jason took the implications seriously. _Perhaps something having to do with wait, I don't even know the beginning of this story._

"I think before we get into this too much, you two should start by telling me what's been going on from the beginning."

**The Upper Peninsula**

The first one hundred and fifty miles were uneventful, not counting the conversation they had, which would make quite a horror story. He drove this route, which ran just over two hundred miles from his old hometown, Oscoda, to Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, several times in his life.

They were now at least fifty miles from the Canadian border. They'd have to cross the Mackinaw Bridge into Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and then another fifty miles on Interstate 75which started in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and ended at the International Bridge in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. 

Getting across wasn't a problem. The tollbooths were now fully automated and every modern vehicle was equipped with transponders and high-speed network links to facilitate paying for tolls, Passport ID, and provided updated weather and road conditions. The branches of the Michigan State Police and the Bridge Authority were still posted on the northern end of the bridge, but they seldom stopped vehicles, and traffic was very light (as most people now had hover cars and flew rather than drove). There were still heavy trucks that hauled goods, locals, the annual custom automobile cruises and foot walks.

Jessica was in awe, as her view was up toward the beige-painted support structures, watching the thick green steel cables extend upward toward the massive support tower, then down, and back up again to the second tower, then down. It just occurred to her that she had never been on a bridge beforelet alone one that wasn't in horrible disrepair. Her field of vision was still limited, as she was laid horizontally on the front passenger seat, and her neck was still immobilized by the collar, but the view upward through the sunroof and expansive windshield were generous. 

Oh, how she wished to see the body of water they were crossing! The nuclear winters had frozen or dried up existing rivers and lakes. She had yet to see a lake, a river, or even a small stream. Something else had just occurred to her: smell. Jason was using the fresh-air vents and the air quality was noticeably different. What replaced the stink of contaminants and death was something fresh, and alive. 

_I'm breathing fresh air! _She said inside, awed that something so simple would smell so good and lively.

She let out a pleasurable sigh as Joe lovingly caressed her face, his fingertips tracing across her brow, the tip of her nose, her lips, her jaw line, and down her neck. That was another wish; that she'd be able to touch him, to explore his body with her hands. _God, if he keeps this up for next few days, I'll_ _Patience_, she thought, steadying her self mentally. She was already thinking about all those places on his body that she was going to touch, and sensations that she'd experience. So far their affection toward each other was limited to kissing, cuddling and handholding, which was all that could be allowed. Lack of proper shelter and the threat of death had made more "intimate" activities impossible.

The final fifty-mile stretch to the International Bridge would go very quickly, just over a half hour, as they were now on Interstate 75. Once again, the proliferation of flying vehicles had made traffic very light. One of the advantages was that there was no speed limit anymore. One could move as fast as they dared, like on the historical Autobahn, with police surveillance now automated. Advanced as the surveillance was, there was little danger of being intercepted. The purpose of the surveillance was to keep those who traveled and various organizations aware of road conditions and any mishaps that could occur (which still occurred despite the use of various safety interlocks and computer assists as there were still those who preferred to drive on their own, and that brought the same problems of reckless driving, lack of skill, and distractions).

The countryside was mainly trees and large open fields that could be seen for many miles. There were hills, but nothing as rocky and desolate as Sirius. Though still snow covered in patches, the Upper Peninsula had the underlying sense of life (seen in the form of electric lights, an odd Deer, and few stray birds flying north). 

It was Jason's favorite part of I-75, as it was mainly a series of flat, straight stretches of road, which could be traveled at speeds up to two-hundred miles an hour, with few patrols and light traffic (even eighty years ago when he attended college in Sault Ste. Marie). 

Traveling in the air at over Mach one didn't compare to driving a high-performance sports car at over one hundred miles an hour. The feel of the road, the rush of the air around the body, and the sound of the ground rushing beneath him (something that couldn't be duplicated in the air) made it much more exhilarating. Frankly, he loved driving, and hated flying for a long time since he was prone to airsickness. Given the choice, he'd drive three thousand miles cross-country rather than fly the same distance. Once hover cars became available, he slowly warmed to flying, and loved it as much as driving.

His mind was moving almost as fast as his driving (or slow, they were traveling at only one hundred miles an hour). He was hastily compiling a mental list of essentials that the couple would need. Besides the obvious medical diagnostic and surgical supplies, the couple would also need new clothes, accessories, and other personal items. Plus, though he could easily order them in advance, that would've been too risky. Chances were that the enemy would be looking for such purchases, and placing an advance order for everything and just having it waiting for pickup would be too dangerous. Another complication was that he didn't have an inkling of their clothing sizes. He'd have to measure them both (easily accomplished with the 3D imaging scanner he had brought along) lest the things he bought were too loose or too tight. 

Fortunately, money was not going to be a problem. Quite frankly, Jason had accumulated a fairly large fortune, which only grew, and he had placed small amounts of it into untraceable cash cards. Once they were secured, he'd go into town, buy what he needed, and dispose of the cash cards. 

They were now eight miles away from Sault Ste. Marie. Instead of crossing the International Bridge, they took the Brimley exit, which was still largely farmland and largely quiet roads, which gave them easy access to the St. Mary's river. The crossing was simple: they'd drive to the road that ran alongside the river, and provided there was no one to see them, and cross the St. Mary's river into Ontario. Though Customs still maintained a presence at the International Bridge and ferry services, and there were patrols on the river and lakes by the Coast Guard, there was no detection grid (at least nothing that the hover car's stealth systems couldn't handle).

Upon crossing the rover, they'd take the nearest road to Highway 17, which led west into Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and then north on the same highway to the safe house. To reach 17 north, they'd have to go through the still busy business spur, but that was of no concern; the Canadian government wasn't looking for them. Even if they were informed, they'd still have a hard time spotting them with the car's color changing capabilities. Besides, they were going directly to the house, with no stops.

The business spur, still lined with businesses, service stations, shops, and restaurants, was still bustling with activity. Since it was about four in the afternoon, traffic was heavy. The weather was sunny and clear, and there were many pedestrians on the walking paths. That was a good thing since Jason preferred they were hidden in a crowd rather than alone on the street.

While things had changed, in the form of contemporary vehicles on the streets, and newer shops, the layout and landmarks remained largely unchanged. In Joe's eyes, it was comforting to see such activity. It was also disheartening to see it because he couldn't be a part of it.

_I'll never be able to live my life._ Even if he wasn't on the run, he had Jessica to consider. It would be too risky to live on Earth; she might get into a situation where she'd have to go to a hospital. He was getting ahead of himself. There'd be time for that later, if they lived through this.

They were onto Highway 17, Great Northern Road, within minutes. It was a curving road, much like what they've seen in Michigan. But, just as they cleared the city limits, it opened into hilly, almost mountainous, terrain, with a river running alongside the highway. There was the occasional long-haul semi truck, or local that passed them.

The safe house, which was secluded within a large private parcel of wooded land, was just about a half-hour drive away.

**The Safe House**

Upon leaving the main highway, they traveled up a seasonal access road. Had it not been for the hovercar's ability to hover above the road, the snow would have bogged them down, as the house was at least five miles down the still snow-covered gravel road.

The safe house itself was a two-story log home of contemporary design and construction. Its exterior used real wood logs, and its eastern side was almost entirely glass windows that overlooked a small lake that was large enough for swimming and fishing. An expansive deck extended beyond the east side, with an integrated wooden hot tub.

Its security and amenities were up to date, using modern biometric sensors, the latest computer technology, and, most importantly, all links to the outside were secured high-speed Sat Links. Though the city grid provided electricity, the house was equipped with a backup gas-turbine generator that could have easily provided for the house's needs. There were also modern waste handling and water processing equipment, making the house almost entirely self-sufficient, which equaled less paper work and kept a lower profile.

Inside, the home was tastefully furnished in comfortable furniture, either antiques or excellent replicas, with a dash of modern high-tech (entertainment and appliances) blended into the décor. The ground floor contained a den that could double as a guestroom, full bath with Jacuzzi, kitchen, and a large living room that overlooked the lake beyond. The second floor contained a Rec room, two bedrooms, bathroom, and a master bedroom with master bath. There was also a basement that contained a year's supply of food, untainted water, other consumables, and a full entertainment system for movies and music.

Given Jessica's condition, the den made the logical choice for their room. It was nicely sized, and cozy with a single desk a set of chairs, an integrated shelf unit along one wall, and a comfortable futon along the opposite wall.

The security systems let them inside without delay, and after settling her on the futon and securing the UPS/power supply, they moved her off the body board, and removed the collar from her neck. 

"Oh, I need to give you guys these." Jason said, holding a pair of medication patches in his hand. "They're antiradiation meds, to counteract any symptoms of radiation exposure since you were both exposed to radioactive fallout for a while."

"Right" Said Joe, Grateful for his thoughtfulness.  
  
"Just leave 'em on until the next morning. I've got the full treatment pack. Replace the patches once per day for a week and that should counteract any radiation that's in your bodies."  
  
They'd both forgotten about the radiation as well. Joe took the offered patches without hesitation, affixing one to his upper arm, and applying the remaining one to Jessica's arm.

Exhausted from their long drive, Joe laid down on the futon and carefully settled Jessica in his arms.

_Oh wow. _Her senses were immediately invaded by the scent of his body, and the feel of his hands stroking her hair, and her hearing by the beating of his heart and he drifted off to sleep.

Knowing they'd be safe, she soon followed, deciding to give her systems a rest and conserve her energy.


End file.
